Experience audio distortion while handling multiple tasks.
Experience audio distortion while handling multiple tasks.
Hello, I've been dealing with this problem for several months and still can't find a fix. (Details below) Whenever I attempt to handle multiple tasks at once, my headphones and speakers start to distort. Usually, I'm streaming YouTube or music while gaming, which isn't particularly demanding on resources. I've explored every possible remedy except replacing all the components. I've refreshed drivers for each part I could locate—bios updates, chipset and GPU drivers, audio settings, disabling potential issues in Device Manager, disassembling and reassembling the whole system. I've also tested my audio gear on other machines to confirm they're not causing the issue. Even a fresh Windows installation hasn't resolved it.
I suspected the problem might be with my GPU, given that my two monitors show different resolutions. The main one is 3840x2160 while the secondary is 1366x768. The distortion gets worse when I send high-res to the main monitor, but less so on the smaller one—still noticeable. Another clue is that after a gaming session lasting about 45 minutes to an hour, both screens freeze briefly, then the main screen drops to a lower frame rate while the YouTube window stays open but the video plays. When I try to close it, it forces-quits and restarts, though I can reopen it without issues afterward.
I've also noticed the issue might be on my motherboard since I'm using USB 3.0 for my Focusrite Scarlet 2i2. I've tested all available ports and still have problems. The Scarlet works fine on other systems. It feels like I'm running out of options. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Please share more information about your specs or the situation if you can. Thank you!
Specs: Operating System: Windows 10 Version 21H2 (latest update 6/16/2023)
MotherBoard: MSI B450M-Pro-VDH
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with Radeon Graphics
RAM: 4x G.Skill DDR4 8GB @ 3200MHz
SSD: 250GB SSD boot drive
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 1660
Power Supply: EVGA 750W
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster MLW-D24M-A18PC-R2
Audio Interface: Focusrite 2i2
Directly extracting audio from your PC via USB usually works differently. The problem might lie with the USB connection itself. I previously used a USB DAC for game audio, but instability led me to stop using it. Now I don’t rely on it much because Apple hasn’t fully released the Apple Music app for Windows 11 yet.